TALKING enthusiastically about his adventures and projects, Mark Evans takes us from the freezing Arctic to the blazing desert. Evans is an explorer and head of Geography at Windlesham House School in West Sussex, England. He was head of Geography at the British School in Riyadh for five years and explored this part of the world extensively, but was frustrated at the lack of resources available in English to teach children about the different aspects of the land they were living in. After Sept. 11 and the events that followed, Evans felt that it was important to give some balance to the negative press the Kingdom was receiving in the UK. On March 15th, at the Clore Education Center of the British Museum in London, Evans launched the first-ever English language educational website about Saudi Arabia. Eight 13-year-old Windlesham students and four from Al-Anjal School in Jeddah demonstrated www.exploresaudiarabia.com to diplomats, journalists and teachers. “It is for young people to learn more about Saudi Arabia but specifically for teachers to use in classroom,” said Evans to Arab News while visiting Jeddah.
The feedback has been fantastic, says Evans. The site, which the Saudi Arabian Embassy in London is sponsoring, has received 2000 hits a week since it was launched. All British primary and secondary schools were informed about the new website as well as schools in the Gulf region. It received widespread praise from teachers and students for its highly creative, informative and interactive approach. At the launch Ambassador Prince Turki Al-Faisal, said: “We see this educational link and the launching of this website as a positive way to develop understanding between our peoples. There is more that unites than divides us. Similarities help us to form friendships; differences should not divide us but make those friendships more interesting and should be a celebration of the diversity of the world that we live in.” The site is suitable for lifelong learners of any age and features intriguing competitions, wonderful graphics and engaging games. Since the launch of the website, there have been requests from other schools in England to be linked with a school in Saudi Arabia.
The purpose of Evans’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia was twofold. Firstly, he intended to gather information, resources and add new material to the website. Things like old newspaper clippings, information on the weather, people, customs, the environment, and some interesting pictures. “Just basic level information because the average British student has limited knowledge of Saudi Arabia.” There will also be a competition to design the next worksheet for the website and to write a newspaper article on the exhibition on Saudi Arabia at the Saudi Embassy in September. Later this year, Evans will be leading some British students on an interactive desert journey into the Rub Al-Khali. The explorers will post digital pictures and a daily diary on the website and children in British schools will be able to send the group questions about the trek via satellite link. Their answers and live pictures of the trek will be updated daily on the website.
The second purpose of his trip is to take some Saudi and British children on a challenging expedition either in Saudi Arabia or somewhere else in the world. “I want to combine my experience with the desire to bring diverging cultures together.” At 17, Evans had the opportunity to go on an expedition to the North Pole and the experience changed his life. “Wilderness is where people really interact and go back to the basics of life with no technology.” Evans has organized several expeditions through a volunteer adventure society, the most recent being in 2000 to 2001 to an island off Norway near the Arctic. During that year, groups of children came for periods of three months. They usually take a group of 12 children who are complete strangers to each other. “Expeditions develop their character and independence. The youngsters learn tolerance, respect, communication, life skills and make good role models when they return to their community.” In picking the children for an expedition, the organizers look at the children’s applications for the expedition, interview them, and then give them a challenge to observe their character, team-play, thoughtfulness and how they can put up with discomfort. Interestingly, Evans finds that more girls join the expedition because they are genuinely eager, unlike the boys who tend to be pushed into it, and so they are more successful in being chosen. “With experience, the organizers know how to be safe on these expeditions.
Accidents happen, but we plan and prepare for every eventuality.” The next expedition Evans is planning will probably be within 18 months; the summit of Kilimanjaro is a possible goal. “The idea has met with great enthusiasm from the people I have spoken to here.” He is hoping that these expeditions will soon become annual events.
